


In New York You Can Be A New Man

by PayYourFuckingTaxes



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Homophobia, M/M, Pray Away The Gay camps that are actually sanctuaries for gay kids, its gonna get Queer™
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-05-01
Packaged: 2018-05-20 08:49:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5999652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PayYourFuckingTaxes/pseuds/PayYourFuckingTaxes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>George Washington runs a "Pray Away The Gay™" camp which is actually just a sanctuary for queer teens. John Laurens finds himself there and meets a few new friends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nobody Needs To Know

**Author's Note:**

> Well apparently I'm a person who writes gay fanfiction about the founding fathers now. This is literally my first time writing and my first time posting it anywhere, so bear with me.

John shifted in his seat to lean his head against the car window. He watched the blur of scenery zip by as his father’s car proceded down the highway. The past few hours of the drive had been entirely silent and John didn’t intend to start speaking to his dad anytime soon. Generally John would be bored out of his mind in this situation, but today he was pretty sure that keeping his mind blank was the only way he could handle the situation. Even if he were to talk, what was there to say? His father was obviously disappointed in John. If he wasn’t, why the hell would they be here right now?

The images of last night were fresh in John’s mind, every detail burned into his memory.

The shaky, nervous feeling as he began explaining the situation to his dad, hoping against hope that he might, just this once, be compassionate.

The look on his father's face as his expression shifted from that of bewilderment to one of complete disgust.

God, the noise. He started to yell at John almost immediately. He shifted between yelling about hell and sin, to pleading with John to change, asking him what drove to be this way. It was so messy. John was crying, frantically apologizing between his sobs, as his father continued to scream about eternal punishment and how much of disgrace John was. John wasn’t sure how long this lasted, it seemed like an eternity. All he knew for sure was that at some point during the night, his father fell silent. He dropped into the armchair opposite of John and let his head fall into his hands. He sighed and looked up at his son.

“You don’t have to be like this. We can fix this.”

John stared into his lap as tears silently streamed down his cheeks. He couldn’t bring himself to meet his father’s gaze.

“John, you can change. You have to change.”

“I know dad. I know. I’m sorry” John replied, stifling a sob.

For a moment, the room was silent again.

“John, there are places we can send you. They’ll set you right. We can go out of state, there’ll be no way anyone will find out. Nobody needs to know.”

John continued to stare at his lap.

“Son, look at me.”

John hesitantly met his stare.

“You have to do this. It’s for your own good. We can fix this. We can fix you.”

“Okay.” John spoke, barely audible. He wiped his eyes but tears continued to form. “I’m sorry.”

John leaned in to pat his son on the shoulder, seemingly proud that he had a handle on the situation.

“We’ll have to do this as soon as possible. I’ll find a place tonight and we’ll leave first thing in the morning.”

John said wiped his eyes again and nodded.

“Alright then!” His father declared, rising from his chair. “Go get some sleep. I’ll wake you in the morning.”

John rose from his chair as well and made his way to his room. He changed quickly before falling into bed and quietly crying himself to sleep.

 

* * *

 

His father woke him at 3 AM the next morning. To John’s surprise, his father had been able to find a conversion camp available to take him that very day. However, it was in New York, 10 hours away from their home in South Carolina. John’s father was more than willing to make the trip though. When he had said John needed to be fixes “as soon as possible”, he was serious. He gave John an hour to eat breakfast, get a shower and pack a week's worth of clothing. He explained that if they were on the road by 4 AM, he could get John to the camp just before at 2 PM, and get back to home by midnight. Since it was summer, no one would be suspicious of John missing school, and surely no one would be suspicious of Henry Laurens, seeing as he had only been gone one day.

No one had to know.

And so John found himself here. Sitting silently in the passenger seat of his father’s car, watching the trees zip past as they made their way through rural New York, en route to what he was sure would be the worst experience of his life. But his dad was right, he had to be fixed. He was broken. He needed this, it would be good for him.

At some point John had fallen asleep, but was awoken when he felt the car slow to a stop. He looked out the window and saw that they were in a parking lot, next to a path leading to the camp. Oddly enough, it looked like a totally normal camp. John wasn’t sure what he had been expecting, but this wasn’t it. John glanced over to his dad. He didn’t know what to say to him. What does anyone say during a time like this? Unable to think of anything, he simply leaned to grab his duffle bag from the back seat. Once he had it, he opened the car door, feeling the cooler northern air hit his face. It was a subtle yet surprising difference which made this whole prospect seem a bit more real and a lot more horrifying.

Just before he closed the door he heard his father speak again from inside the car.

“Son…”

John turned to face him

“I believe in you, you can change.”

He nodded silently, not meeting his father’s gaze, before closing the car door.

John turned to face the camp, sighing as he made his way toward the entrance.


	2. Virtue Is Not A Word I'd Apply To This Situation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John is gay and scared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I actually followed through and wrote the next chapter? I'm genuinely surprised with myself. Happy President's Day and CONGRATS to the Ham cast for winning a Grammy!

John made his way up the dirt path to what he assumed was the camp's main building. It was the largest and had a sign with the words “Camp Vernon” above the entryway. John focussed on taking deep breaths, attempting to maintain his composure. It would be okay. Whatever was going to happen would be over at the end of the week. He just had to stick it out for seven days. Then he would be normal and he could put the whole experience behind him.

He clutched the strap of his bag tighter as he walked through the open doors of the entryway. He was greeted by an older man sitting behind a table with a bunch of papers on it. He gave John a surprisingly kind smile to John before asking for John’s name. He was surprised by the man’s thick accent. German maybe? John couldn’t quite tell. The man, who was named Mr. Steuben according to the tag on his shirt, had John sign some forms and gave him a small piece of paper with the number 2 on it, before directing John the camp’s cafeteria.

The room was large, with high ceilings and lots of circular wooden tables, each looking as though they could seat about eight people. A small podium stood in front of the wall farthest from John. The wall behind said podium was adorned with a large mural of an eagle and the latin phrase “ _amore et peccatores sanctis non distinguebant”._ Whatever that meant. John had wanted to learn Latin when he first entered high school, but his father had insisted that french would be more practical. It probably didn’t matter much anyway. After taking French his freshman, sophomore, and junior years of high school, he still didn’t feel like he had any solid grasp of the language. Latin probably wouldn’t have been any different.

Still taking deep, measured breaths, John made his way to a table closest to the muraled wall. He sat down in one of the cheap folding chairs and placed the duffel bag next to him before resting his chin on his hand. He let his eyes wander, examining every detail of the mural. John found himself fascinated by every brush stroke. The subtle change in color, the precision in the feathers, it was beautiful. He had always had a deep admiration for art. John drew sometimes, and he wasn’t that bad if he did say so himself. However, he never really given it any attention. He knew his father wouldn’t approve of any career in the arts, so he didn’t see much point in pursuing it further.

John began to zone out a bit as he stared at the painting. He hadn’t gotten much sleep that night, and despite briefly falling asleep in the car, he was still completely exhausted. He was close to dozing off when John caught glimpse of the most beautiful person he had ever seen.

A boy was leaning with his back against the wall, a few yards away from the podium, with a clipboard tucked under his arm. A gray hoodie covered his small frame as he pulled his long hair into a loose ponytail. John was instantly captivated by the boy's eyes. Wide and dark like an autumn sunset, they gave emitted an intelligent aura that made it hard for him to look away.

John remained entranced by the boy’s appearance until the sound of a man tapping on the podium’s mic pulled him back to reality. He quickly darted eyes away, instantly feeling guilty for looking at him that way. Thinking about someone like him in a place like this was definitely wrong, if not a little ironic. Trying to clear him from his mind, he directed his attention to the man at the podium. Waiting for the man to begin speaking added to his already bad anxiety. Honestly, John was scared. He didn’t have any precedent for something like this, and the lack of ability to prepare made John feel very vulnerable.

He took one more deep breath, and listened as the man began to speak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm REALLY excited for the next chapter because thats when I think stuff is gonna start speeding up and I'm gonna get a lot of character interaction, so I hope some of you feel like sticking it out until then haha. Hoping to have the next part up either tomorrow or the day after. I still feel kinda rusty w/ my writing style but I think I'm gonna hit my stride during the next couple of chapters. Like I said before, any and all criticism is encouraged, seeing as this is my first time writing something. <3


	3. HERE COMES THE GENERAL

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex notices someone and Gwash explains whats going on. It's gonna be fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is really short and I'm so sorry it took so long to post lol. I went to Washington DC and didn't have my laptop.

Alex always hated this part. Watching all the nervous teens funnel into the building, unsure of what to expect. They all looked so scared. That made sense though, given what they thought the situation was. Alex remembered how anxious he felt the first time he was dropped off. 

 

To avoid the spread of rumors and misinformation, George had instructed Alex, as well as the rest of the staff and volunteers, to not reveal the camps true intention until everyone had arrived and it could be done in a quick, concise way. It made sense, but the minutes before was to George’s speech was always tough to witness. 

 

As Alex scanned the crowd of teens gradually filling up the spaces at the tables, one boy in particular caught his eye. 

 

His curly hair was pulled back into a ponytail, revealing a face full of freckles. God those freckles were beautiful. The way they looked reminded Alex of stars in a galaxy.

 

His dark eyes examined the mural on the wall which Alex was leaning against. After a few moments, the freckled boy’s gaze fell to Alex, who darted his eyes away almost too obviously.

 

Alex would’ve dwelled on that slightly awkward moment for much longer than he would’ve liked to, had Washington not entered the room shortly after. Instantly the room fell silent in anticipation of the man’s words. 

 

George tapped the mic once to make sure it was functioning correctly before he commenced his introduction speech.

 

* * *

 

“First of all” he began “I would like to welcome you all here today, and let you know that this place is not what you believe it to be.” 

 

A few murmurs rose from the crowd

 

“Steuben and I founded this camp ten years ago as a safe space for queer and genderqueer teens. We simply advertise this facility as a conversion camp, because that brings us into contact with you, the ones with the most toxic home life.”

 

John couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

 

“You are all safe here. We have no intention to change you.” He continued “Essentially, we function as a normal summer camp, but with added resources for LGBT+ youth, such as optional daily group discussions to help you better understand and come to terms with your identity.”

 

John was shocked. Was this place really not going to try to change him? Although he had arrived under the assumption that repair was necessary, he did find himself to be quite relieved at this news. 

 

“And if you ever feel the need to talk about anything at all, Washington and I are licensed counselors!” The accented man from earlier yelled to the crowd from the rooms entryway.

 

“Ah yes!” the man, who John now knew to be named Washington, replied. “How could I almost forget the most important part? Steuben and I are available to talk 24/7, about anything that's bothering you. We especially encourage you to reach out if you feel like you are in any danger whatsoever in your home.” Washington said with a serious tone.

 

“Well that's about all I have to say! I expect that you’ll all have a wonderful time, and I hope that you make some very meaningful friendships during your time here.” The man concluded, stepping away from the podium.

 

A loud wave of adolescent chatter swept through the hall. Everyone seemed quite excited by the complete 180 of their situation. John was too, but was unsure about what to do with himself.

  
That is, until he noticed the ponytailed boy walking toward him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is Washington gay himself? Is he dating Steuben? Who knows! You don't! :)
> 
> I'm REALLY looking forward to writing the next chapters. Thats when a lot of character interaction will be happening. Thanks so much to everyone who is giving me encouragement to keep updating!


	4. In The Place To Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's meet some people!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god I'm so sorry it took this long to update. I have literally no excuse. Thanks for sticking with me.

John’s eyes widened as the boy with the ponytail made his way toward his table. 

 

“Hey!” The boy said, pulling out the clipboard that had been wedged under his arm.

 

“Hey…” John responded. 

 

“Hey” the boy replied again.

 

There was an awkward silence for a moment, which both boys acknowledged with a laugh.

 

“I’m Alexander” he said as John stood up from his chair “But you can call me Alex if you want.”

 

“I’m John, nice to meet you” He replied as he stood up, a few inches taller than Alex.

“So which cabin are you in?” Alex asked “Steuben should’ve given you a number when you showed up.”

 

“Um...2...I think…” John said, glancing at the now crumpled paper in his hand. He figured he must have unintentionally started fidgeting with it when he was nervous.

 

“Oh great so am I!” Alex exclaimed with a bright smile “The cabins are out back. Grab your bag I’ll show you around!”

 

John threw the strap of his duffle bag over his shoulder and began following Alex to the cabins. Alex talked at a fast pace as they made their way to the other end of the building, identifying the rooms they passed on their way, such as a Washington and Steuben’s shared office, closets where various outdoor supplies were kept, a locker-room-type area with showers, and some more. John was sure that even with Alex’s commentary it would take him a while to remember where everything was. 

 

“So do you like…work here?” John asked during a lull in Alex’s chatter.

 

“I suppose technically I don’t since I don’t get paid or anything, but I do help with a lot of the organizational aspects of the camp.” Alex replied “Steuben and Washington are my foster parents so I end up coming to the camp every year anyway.”

 

“Wow that’s really cool!” John said.

 

“You think so? A lot of people say it sounds boring…” Alex blushed

 

“I usually help out Washington with like, writing and stuff. He tends to do more of the administrative work for the camp whereas Steuben does the boots on the ground stuff while camp is actually in session. Although, he generally only uses like, half of what I write. I get carried away sometimes.”  He said with a laugh.

 

John smiled while Alex held open the final door as they went outside.

 

When they exited the main building John was finally able to see the entirety of the camp. The main building and five cabins were situated on the top of a gradual hill in the woods. The cabins all faced a large lake with a small dock.

 

“Alright so we’re in cabin number 2 which is this one over here” Alex said as he gestured to one of the small buildings.

 

“ _ Excusez-moi!” _ a French voice called to them “Are you two in cabin 2 as well?”

 

“Yeah we are!” John called over in reply as the teen walked up to Alex and himself.

 

“ _ Bonjour! _ ” they said, introducing themself “I’m Lafayette. They/Them pronouns.”

 

“I’m John. He/Him!” He replied with a smile.

 

“Alex!  _ il pronom aussi!” _ He said as he shook Lafayette’s hand.

 

“ _ Tu parle Français? _ ” Lafayette said with a surprised look.

 

“ _ Un peu. Je ne suis pas encore couramment. _ ” Alex shrugged.

 

They chattered back and forth in rapid fire french as they walked into the cabin. John was impressed. His three years of highschool French allowed him to pick out a few words but he had never been good at forming complete sentences. 

 

The insides of the cabins were very quaint and simple. There were two sets of bunk beds, one on either side of the room. In the center of the hall opposite of the door there was a small fireplace with a simple brick chimney and a little stack of wood next to it. John and Laf were also relieved to see that the cabins had indoor plumbing. Laf and John tossed their bags onto the blue bedding on each of the lower bunk beds and sat down, making smalltalk as Alex lit a fire.

 

“Is there supposed to be another person here? I mean there’s four beds…” John asked.

 

“Yeah, actually” Alex responded as he stood up to retrieve his clipboard from the small table which he had set it on “It’s starting to get dark, they probably should’ve gotten here by now.”

 

As Alex glanced down to the last name on the cabin 2 roster, his face immediately shifted to an exasperated expression.

 

“Oh for christ’s sake-” he began, but was interrupted by the bang of the door being kicked open to reveal a taller boy with an afro and an unnecessarily fancy backpack slung over his shoulder.

 

“The party has arrived!” he declared as he twirled into the cabin in a crimson flurry. 

 

Alex groaned in frustration while John and Lafayette shared a confused glance. The boy tossed his bag onto the bunk above Lafayette’s before dropping himself down next to Lafayette.

 

“Alex  _ mon ami  _ it’s an absolute pleasure to see you again!” he said mockingly with a horribly butchered accent that almost made Lafayette cringe.

 

“You’re like two hours late, Thomas” Alex retorted.

 

“So? What could I have missed? Aside from Washington’s lil’ speech thing, I mean he basically says the same thing every year anyways.” Thomas taunted, knowing full well that Alex drafts those speeches every year.

 

“ _ Bonjour _ y’all, the name’s Thomas Jefferson” he said, turning to Lafayette to introduce himself. This time they did actually cringe a little. 

 

John and Lafayette introduced themselves as well as Alex marked Thomas’s arrival on his clipboard. After a couple minutes of small talk there was a knock on the still-open door. They looked over to see short boy wearing a sweater stood in the doorway.

 

“Hey is Thomas in here?” He said hesitantly “I’ve been looking for him since I got here and I-” He was cut off as Thomas leaped up from the bunk and swept the shorter boy into a hug which almost knocked them both over. Thomas smiled and leaned down to kiss him before they both turned to leave the cabin. 

 

“Hey wait!” Alex called through the doorway “It’s after curfew! You guys are supposed to stay in your cabins!”

 

“Fight me Hamilton!” Thomas called back to him without so much as turning around.

 

“Dammit.” Alex sighed as he swung the door shut “Whatever. They know their way around this place I’m sure they can’t get into too much trouble.”

 

“So I take it you know him?” John asked.

 

“Unfortunately, yes. That other guy was his boyfriend, his name’s James Madison. They come here together every year. James isn’t that bad but Thomas is the WORST.”

 

“I’m sure he can’t be that bad once you actually get to know him.” John said with a smile.

 

“It’s been 4 years” Alex said with an overly dramatic gaze into the distance. They all broke into laughter.

 

“Well it’s getting kinda late. I’m up for going to sleep if you two are.” Alex said once the laughter had died down. 

  
John and Lafayette were both exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster of their day and were more than ready for bed. After an exchange of goodnights and _ bon soirs _ they turned out the lights and Alex climbed into the bunk above John. For the first time in a while, listening to Alex’s  breathing as he fell asleep, John felt perfectly safe.


End file.
